Trigger warming: mention of suicide.
Have you ever wondered what food insecurity actually means? Let’s break it down and explain how it’s measured, who’s at risk, and some of its other effects beyond not having enough to eat.
PROOF, an interdisciplinary research program based at the University of Toronto, defines food insecurity as “inadequate or insecure access to food due to financial constraints.” (source)
How is food insecurity measured?
Statistics Canada measures food insecurity in their Household Food Security Survey Module (HFSSM), consisting of 18 questions on the topic.
There are 3 categories of food insecurity:
- Marginal: Worrying about running out of food and/or limited food selection due to a lack of money for food.
- Moderate: Compromising in quality and/or quantity of food due to a lack of money for food.
- Severe: Missing meals, reducing food intake, or going for day(s) without food. (Source)
It’s interesting to note that Statistics Canada has been monitoring food insecurity since 2005, but only introduced the HFSSM in 2019. Previously, food insecurity was mainly measured based on food bank usage data. However, research shows that this is merely a measure of a last resort solution for people with access to food banks, not a measure of food insecurity in general. (source)
Who is at risk of food insecurity?
Populations who face systemic racism and/or other forms of discrimination are disproportionately affected by food insecurity and this is very much demonstrated in the data. (source) The highest percentage of people living in food-insecure households in 2023 (in Canadian provinces) was among Black people, at 40.4%, and Indigenous Peoples at 36.8%. It’s important to note that the data on Indigenous communities is thought to be worse due to a lack of representation in the national surveys that monitor food insecurity and the lack of data on the territories. (source)
“The racial disparities in food insecurity point to the serious health consequences of Canada’s long and ongoing history of colonialism and systemic racism.”
-PROOF: Food Insecurity Policy Research
In 2022 (in Canadian provinces), 70% of households that rely on social assistance were food insecure, half of which were severely food insecure. While household income is closely related to food insecurity, it doesn’t show a perfect correlation because there are more factors to consider such as income stability, assets, and the cost of living.(source)
Some may be surprised to learn that in 2022, 60% of food-insecure households reported wages, salaries, and self employment as their income, compared to 7% reporting social assistance as their income. Sadly, simply having a job is not enough to ensure having sufficient income to meet our basic needs. (Source)
Households with children under the age of 18 and households that rent were other identified factors that correlated to food insecurity. (source)
What are the effects of food insecurity?
Food insecure adults are more likely to experience poor oral health, injury, infectious diseases, chronic conditions, depression and anxiety, heart disease, hypertension, arthritis, and chronic pain.
Almost half of adults living with severe food-insecurity reported delaying, reducing, or skipping prescription medication because they couldn’t afford it.
There is a strong link between food insecurity and mental health for both youth and adults. Depression, anxiety and mood disorders, and suicidal thoughts increase with the severity of food insecurity. Children exposed to severe food insecurity show an increase risk of depression and suicidal ideation in adolescence and early adulthood.
As you can imagine, the consequences of food insecurity are very costly for our healthcare system. Reducing food insecurity could offset these expenses and reduce strain on our resources. (source)
Let’s all keep food insecurity in mind when addressing issues in our community and with your politicians.
To support our Nourishing Communities Food Coupon Program, you can donate on our website or purchase the Home Cook Bundle Fundraiser.
Thank you to PROOF: Food Insecurity Policy Research, for providing greater context to this issue.
